


Is There a Doctor in the House?

by Rjslpets



Series: An Avenging Omega [7]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, Alpha Steve Rogers, Dealing with Logistics, Multi, Omega Brain - Freeform, Omega Tony Stark, Pack Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-08-13 00:25:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7954909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rjslpets/pseuds/Rjslpets
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony is trying to be a good Omega and deal with potential issues and now he had Phil Coulson to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Surviving Captain America's Glare Is an Essential Requirement

**Author's Note:**

> OK - I am back in this universe after my CW angst. I thought I would dip my toe in with a little story about the Avengers Pack trying to set up medical backup without SHIELD and without relying on Bruce. Also, I hope this will expand everyone's understanding of this universe.
> 
> I will point out that comments and kudos are authors live on (like butterflies on nectar)!

The person who Tony talked to was Phil of course. In fact, Tony had been putting off having this conversation with anyone until Agent had miraculously reappeared and been brought into the Pack. He could have talked to Bruce he supposed, but that would probably have brought the Hulk into the conversation. Tony loved the Big Guy but he was not one to give help on the question of medical personnel. One of these days, the armor was not going to be enough to protect him and the Omega was going to get hurt. And by hurt, he meant beyond the common bruises, sprains and minor penetration wounds (OK – Bruce never thought the penetration wounds were minor, but he was a total worrywart). And when that happened, the Pack was going to _freak_.

Tony’s research on omegas had a lot of holes – or maybe the information didn’t exist. Omegas had to have medical attention since they definitely got sick. And what about dental? Actually, Tony should have prioritized the really important activities – what about spa services and barbers? This facial hair did not maintain itself, such a work of art required assistance. His mind began to spin off, listing off personal services. He had been with Pack escort to his lawyers – a billionaire had a lot of work with lawyers. Also, accountants and masseuses – not that the Pack wasn’t willing to do the last and Clint had great hands. Tony sternly recalled his wandering thoughts – doctors, medical professionals were what were needed. Eventually he was going to get hurt enough that Bruce would definitely pull his “not that sort of doctor” line and then where will they be?

When Phil came into the workroom, Tony started in at full speed, “Agent we need medical backup. Did SHIELD ever work with omegas? Not that I would trust – what with Hydra and all that. But – still, maybe they knew how to handle it?”

Phil had become quite experienced in interpreting Tony speed speaking. It was surprisingly similar to the skills needed for long-distance eavesdropping. He carefully considered the mess he had just heard and replied, “SHIELD did not generally work with omegas as Fury was distrustful of them. Their loyalty to their packs always worried him. So no real expertise in caring for omegas. In the military they generally tried to have an Omega doctor with an existing Pack and that worked for most of the military Packs. JARVIS, are there any omega specializing practices in the city?” In response to Tony’s grimace, Phil pointed out, “It wouldn’t be perfect since they may not have the expertise to handle battle wounds, but it gives us a place to start. And, frankly, considering your special biology, we probably need to start with someone to do your regular medical care since Bruce is…” Tony chimed in on the “not that kind of doctor.”

Phil mentally rejiggered his calendar and re prioritized his to do list. He could see the importance of Tony’s request. He had actually been part of a Pack with an injured Omega and it was not pretty. They, as a War Pack in the US military, had a Pack medic as well as access to Omega doctors and it was still bad. The Pack had been so tense that they had been isolated in the room with their Omega and only the medical team could get in. Phil remembers actually having to hold Frank, their Alpha, back from attacking a general who had come into check on Roger (unfortunately, the general was also Roger’s father and his family pack Alpha). Phil was pretty sure that he could hold it together and he was willing to bet that Sam Wilson could be counted on not to lose it. How unfortunate that they were baseline normal in the Avengers Pack, because everyone else was definitely going to be in ‘kill it if it moves near Tony’ mode. They definitely needed medical staff they were already comfortable with if the worst happened. “I’ll start researching potential options. I think the best idea might be to have you, Bruce and…Natasha interview them.”

Tony nodded, relieved and impressed. The interviews were a brilliant idea. Bruce would take care of the medical expertise and Natasha would look for any suspicious behavior. Actually, Tony thought, the Hulk was probably the best judges of characters in the Pack. The Big Guy had a sixth sense for bullshit. “Steve will never go for it. He is going to need to approve everyone personally. But he can have a short list to go to town on.” Steve was way too territorial an Alpha to rely on anyone else where the safety of his Omega was concerned; he would need to see how they worked in stressful situations, like in view of the ‘Captain America is watching you and he is not impressed’ look. He would object to Tony meeting with them before he did, but Tony knew he would win that argument.  This was for the good of the Pack and Tony was learning that no Omega bowed to an Alpha when the good of the Pack was at stake.


	2. Doctors Visits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So Tony, Bruce and Natasha walk into a clinic and...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a monster of a chapter because I couldn't decide when to cut off. 
> 
> Thank you for all your comments and kudos on this story and the Avenging Omega series in general!
> 
> Finally, I had to put in some OCs here as I couldn't find what I needed in the Marvel universe

Phil was certainly efficient. Building on his experience with the folders of possible Avengers (and he and Steve _still_ needed to discuss those), Tony had asked for dossiers before the visits. If Omega Brain decided to add someone to the murder list, Tony would prefer to find out in private.  Now the Omega was sitting in his workshop with a pile of folders in front of him. Apparently, there were a number of medical practices that catered to omega-centered Packs in the New York area. Each of the files delineated the background, education and specialties of the practices. Tony decided to eliminate those that were centered around OB/GYN services (although he had JARVIS make a note just in case the Pack started expanding in a way that didn’t require he and Steve read through folders). Then he looked for services that he knew the Avengers Pack would need: orthopedists, internists, access to radiology, etc. Since he was a billionaire, he also looked for concierge level services that would allow the Avengers to get top priority if they needed it. He did realize that none of this was going to plug the hole left by SHIELD medical and their emergency services, but it was something to have consistent medical records, especially given the _unique_ characteristics of the Pack.

So all the cuts brought the stack down to half its original size. Which were still too many interviews for Tony to even consider having to sit through. It was time to unleash the incomprehensible wonder of Omega Brain. Once again Tony started to go through the folders. This time, he looked carefully at each of the pictures, waiting for some indication – good or bad. The third folder caused Omega Brain to start growling; Tony couldn’t see anything wrong with the picture but he placed it on the no-go pile. Omega Brain didn’t put the guy on the murder list, but it didn’t like the idea of him near the Pack either. Omega Brain was very opinionated. Once Omega Brain’s input had been calculated, Tony was left with three folders and that was doable.

Tony found Natasha in the Pack room and settled beside her on the couch. He slumped a little sideways and sure enough, she started running her hand through his hair and lightly scratching his scalp. He relaxed even more into her side and let the three folders fall from his hands into her lap. She picked them up (thankfully with the hand that was not petting him) and opened them up. She hummed a little (Tony thought it was approval and Omega Brain snarled a little at the idea of her not approving). She flipped through the folders, never stopping the petting. Omega Brain (NOT Tony) decided to snuggle in even more. He could tell that Natasha was flashing a grin at Bruce who was sitting on the other side of the room – a little grin of triumph. Well, he had spent a lot of the last few days in Bruce’s lab so fair was fair.

Bruce got up and moved to sit on the other side of Tony; he caught the near-silent huff of breath that was Bruce’s laugh. The scientist reached over Tony to take one of the files from Natasha; with his other hand, he began stroking Tony’s back (Omega Brain was doing a fist pump).  “You really whittled down the options – didn’t you?” came Bruce’s amused voice, “I thought that Phil gave you more than 30 files and there are only 3 here.”

“Are you insulting my disqualifying skills? I feel that you are and I will have you know that they are mad skills with no rival.” Tony pushed his head against Natasha’s hand to indicate that head scratching should continue. “It wasn’t hard to cut down. I just hope one of these three will work.”

Natasha paused in her reading, “Phil would not have passed on any that he felt would not work for the Pack. I think it is mainly a matter of which one you are most comfortable with, Tony.”

“I am most comfortable with Bruce who,” holding his hand up to stop the objection forming on the scientist’s mouth, “is not that kind of doctor. I do understand that. And I also understand that most of the Pack have unique medical, or in the case of Steve and Brucie here, almost no medical need. That’s why I asked Phil to do the search. We can interview these three and then we can unleash Steve on them.” If they survive that, was the unspoken thought, then they could easily work with the Avengers Pack. “So I think we can get the interviews done in a day. I would prefer to go to their offices…” Tony really didn’t think that was going to fly without discussion, and he was right.

“I am not sure that I feel comfortable with having you outside the tower without your scent guards.” Bruce was speaking in his usual deferential manner, but Tony could hear Big Green’s upset under that deceptively calm tone. “And I don’t see how we can meet with the doctors without telling them that you are the Omega they will need to treat.”

Natasha looked up frowning, “All of these practices have Omegas. They are all Packs. If we don’t feel comfortable going to them, I am not sure that they will consent to coming here.”

“Well, we need to be comfortable going to them unless you want me to set up a medical practice in the tower. Although that might not be a bad idea.  I wonder if any of these guys might be willing to practice on the lower floors. It would be so much more convenient…” Tony trailed off, his mind already running on space allocations and whether the practice would need separate elevators.

“Tony, we are going to ask them to be the medical practice for the Pack, not be on call 24x7.” Natasha reminds him, “Not that we couldn’t use a medical facility 24x7. Other than you of course.” to Bruce who shrugged clearly indicating that not being able to be injured was not a compensation for turning into a green rage monster (Bruce had the most articulate shrugs mused Tony).

“We are going to have to go to them.” Tony is being definitive here and Omega Brain would be growling at the others if they weren’t petting so nicely (and maybe they could provide a little food?). Tony sighed and continued, “Natasha is right about needing to go to them for medical treatment and I am not starting this relationship out by having Steve glare at them.” Especially when the relationship between Tony and Steve was still not what it was pre-assassin. They had come to a kind of agreement but Tony was all too aware that Steve was obsessing over his old Omega and it drove Tony crazy if he allowed himself to think about it too much. With the skill of someone who has practiced avoiding difficult thoughts since childhood, Tony refocused on the medical discussion. “JARVIS, call and make appointments at the three practices. I would prefer to take just one day for everything. Maybe Tuesday?”

“Tuesday is the board meeting, Sir.”

“Right, so Tuesday it is.”

Tuesday was unfortunately a rainy day which meant that Tony couldn’t fly to any of the appointments. True to his usual brilliance, JARVIS had managed to schedule all the appointments on the same day; there was one in the morning and two in the afternoon. Natasha and Bruce, who were both thrilled to have their Omega to themselves for an entire day, had planned a surprise lunch for Tony.  Bruce had suggested the place to Natasha and she had made a reconnaissance trip. They had then developed a plan and actually gotten Steve’s (reluctant) agreement to the plan. Natasha knew that part of his willingness to agree came from the Alpha’s consciousness that things were still unsettled between himself and his Omega; as well as Steve’s lingering guilt over his pursuit of Barnes.

So 10:00 a.m. Tuesday morning found them in the NYC Pack Centric Clinic on Park Avenue and, true to the neighborhood, it exuded an ultra-rich but not fashionable aura. Tony thought that this was the type of practice that his mother would have liked. That wasn’t necessarily a bonus from his point of view. Three people entered the office; Tony immediately zeroed in on the one in the middle – an unassuming woman in her 40s with an air of quiet competence. Omega Brain was a little puzzled rumble in the back of his mind. This woman was an Omega and they were in her Pack’s territory but she didn’t seem at all upset or nervous. Tony, on the other hand, was feeling quite nervous. It was his first time meeting another Omega since induction.

To his surprise, the Omega (Dr. Morgan) started the conversation, “We were very startled to get your call, Omega Stark. There was not even a rumor that the Avengers Pack had an Omega.”

“And thanks to the non-disclosure agreements you have signed, there still won’t be.” Tony interrupted.

Dr. Morgan smiled, “I do understand your defensiveness. It is never easy to walk into another Omega’s territory. But I think you will find that there are advantages to having an Omega to consult with. In addition, if you are injured, it will be easier for the Pack to accept care from another Omega and an Omega-centered Pack. It automatically makes us less threatening.”

Tony hummed in response, feeling Omega Brain growling in the back of his mind – mostly at the idea of Steve being in proximity to this Omega. Tony pointed out to Omega Brain that this Omega had her own Pack and her own Alpha and wasn’t interested in a troublesome Alpha like Steve. Omega Brain produced a picture of Steve without a shirt with a strong overtone of ‘who wouldn’t want that.’ Points to Omega Brain – Tony knew everyone wanted that. Still he liked Dr. Morgan and her practice had an orthopedist and a cardiologist, both of which the Pack needed. So when they finished the interview, he agreed with the others that Pack Centric Clinic was being kept on the list.

The interview had taken over an hour and a half between Bruce’s medical conversation and Natasha’s attempt to find out everything about the practice while pretending not to be prying. Tony hadn’t actually contributed much to the conversation once he had his little exchange with Dr. Morgan. He knew that both Bruce and Natasha were not happy with him interacting with non-Pack; they tolerated the two Omegas talking, but only because they couldn’t stop it. They were both tense during the interview and, once they left the office, the two of them became less tense and more excited. Tony was sure that they were planning something. In response to their request, he had let them choose the restaurant and was stunned to find that they were at MorMac’s.

 It had been one of his favorite restaurants before the Pack, serving massive burgers and thick shakes, as well as the best fries on the east coast. Unfortunately, it also had a glass front composed of doors that were pulled back in the spring weather, exposing the whole restaurant to the sidewalk. Even when the front doors were closed, the Pack had found the whole space too exposed for them to feel comfortable having the Omega there. As a result, Tony hadn’t been able to enjoy his favorite burger joint since induction. Sure he could have it delivered, but delivery (no matter how fast) just didn’t treat burgers and fries well. He could practically taste the bacon cheeseburger and the malted shake as they entered the restaurant. They were led all the way into the back and then, to Tony’s surprise, back into the kitchen. There was a small table tucked into an alcove in the back of the kitchen.

“Surprise!” Bruce was feeling extremely pleased with himself. It was obvious that the Omega was thrilled. “I suggested to Natasha that we try and take you here since I know that you missed it.  Natasha was the one who figured out how to get around the open concept.”

Natasha shrugged indifferently, but Tony gave her an enthusiastic hug. “It wasn’t difficult to ask the chef to let us in the back.” She said dismissively, but she was very pleased by the hug. The rest of the lunch was wonderful; the food as good as Tony remembered and the company great. It was nice to have a relaxing day out. Since the fall of SHIELD, Tony had been pretty much confined to the tower. Partially it was due to his being close to feral after what happened to Steve and partially it was the betrayal felt by half the Pack (SHIELD, Fury, Coulson in that order) leading them to become even more protective than normal. Tony told himself to remember what this felt like; it was past time for the Pack to get back to normal.

After lunch, they headed to Wall Street to the Balling Pack Medical Practice. Once again, they met with the Omega and several other doctors. The Balling Pack had been running the clinic for over 45 years and there was a calm air of experience that hung over the space. Once again, Tony allowed Bruce and Natasha to do most of the talking (this was quite an experience for him).  He checked in with Omega Brain and found that it was strangely neutral about the other Omega. Maybe it was the age; Dr. Cameron was over 70 although well-preserved. Tony wondered if there was a secondary Omega in the Balling Pack; the Pack was certainly large enough to support two if the number of doctors at the offices was any indication. It was probably easier with an older Omega anyways; Tony would not want to share (Omega Brain agreed with that sentiment and produced the shirtless picture of Steve for a moment of happy contemplation).

The interview was shorter and they were on their way by the end of the hour. “Not this one, I think.” Natasha finally said. Bruce and Tony both agreed with her. There was something about the practice that made all of them think that it wouldn’t be able to handle the oddness that was the Avengers. They headed towards the last practice.  This one was in the heart of downtown and not far from the tower, one of the reasons it was the last stop.

The St. Andrew Pack Clinic specialized in being “an inclusive practice for Omega-led Packs” according to its literature, offering a wide range of services in their spacious offices. Tony liked the location and he was impressed by the facilities; there was even a surgical suite. In addition, the St. Andrew Pack had begun as a military medical Pack – one of the main reasons that Tony had kept the folder in the yes pile. As at the other visits, they met with the Omega and two others. Tony wondered if it was standard courtesy for one Omega to be present when another Omega was in Pack space. These visits were the only time he had met other Omegas since induction and greetings between Omegas hadn’t been covered in his research. After the initial greetings, he let Bruce and Natasha lead the conversation. It looked like this meeting would go as the other two had when the St. Andrew Omega broke into a conversation on radiation treatments between Bruce and one of the doctors to announce that he wanted to speak to Tony privately. That led to a moment of absolute silence.

“For heaven’s sake, we are both Omegas! You can leave us alone together. Stand outside the door if you must.” Malcolm St. Andrew did not seem to possess an enormous amount of patience. “If I am going to treat him, then I need to talk to him without Pack bumping chests! Shoo!” To Tony’s surprise, they all filed out, looking somewhat sheepish. Dr. St. Andrew turned to him, “As I understand it, Omega Stark, you are looking for medical assistance for the Avengers. We can certainly provide that for you, but so could many other Pack clinics. I think that we should discuss your real concerns which is why I asked your Pack to leave.”

Tony wasn’t often taken aback by other people but this Omega had surprised him, “And what are ‘my concerns’ that you think can’t be discussed in front of Bruce and Natasha?”

“What happens when you’re injured.” Dr. St. Andrew stated calmly, “Remember that we were originally a military medical Pack.  I have treated injured Omegas before and it is a unique experience. You need an Omega medic because pack dynamics go haywire if the Omega is injured. Most Pack can’t even take the discussion. If you choose to use our practice, I would recommend that we create an action plan to deal with you being injured and that you drill it with your Pack. It may sound ridiculous, but it will greatly increase the chances of you getting medical attention if they can respond without thinking about the situation too much.”

“I’m impressed. You’re the first one to address me privately and the second to actually talk to me.”

“Well, most Omegas, even medical ones, tend to avoid direct socialization. And, frankly, in civilian life there aren’t a lot of situations in which Omegas are injured. Military Omegas are the exception and that is where a lot of my pack’s experience lies. To be honest, I would love to be the medical advisor to the Avengers Pack.  Almost everyone in this clinic is part of our original military Pack and they are getting, well…”

“Bored? Antsy? I can imagine that working with family and business packs must seem pretty dull after the military. Why’d you pull out?”

“Our Alpha was invalided out when she lost her leg below the knee. She is still one of the most gifted surgeons I have ever seen, but she couldn’t stay. They wanted to give us a new alpha, but I wouldn’t do it and I was at the end of my tour anyway. The rest of the Pack either left with us or turned up over the last two years. And yes, the Avengers Pack would probably make everyone perk up” The last sentence was said with a grin.

“I like you. So you definitely get my vote. But my Alpha will be coming round to check as well.”

“Eh, my Alpha was a full bird – she can take Captain America. I once saw her chew out a four-star for interference in medical matters. Now, the other reason I sent them all out is, well…you can’t have been an Omega that long since I think it would have leaked. So, if you have any questions, I wanted you to know that you could ask.”

“Do I have questions? You have no idea how little information I can find on Omegas! Ever considered moving your practice? I’ve got one of the largest towers in the city?” In the back of his mind, Omega Brain rumbled a bit at the idea of an Omega allowing their Alpha to get hurt.  Tony absently pointed out that because of the serum, they never needed to worry about Steve. Omega Brain immediately became distracted by the naked Steve image. Tony went back to the meeting.

“May be we should get through our Alphas meeting first?”

“You aren’t meeting Steve?”

“Hell no! Kate would never go for that. Besides I really don’t need to see Alphas chest thumping.” St. Andrew said with a grin. Omega Brain produced an image of Steve pounding his chest with a distinct sense of puzzlement; Tony grinned back at the other Omega. Ding, ding, they had a winner!


	3. Steve Was Sulking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve has to man up and meet the St. Andrew Pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK - my brain has finally consented to actually continuing this series. Sorry for the hiatus. who knew Steve had an Alpha Brain?

Steve Rogers was sulking; he knew it. He was sulking like a giant toddler because his best friend was hiding from him. Put that way, it made him seem even more childish. He needed to get his mind back on his current Pack and his current Omega. Interviewing medical practices was exactly the kind of activities that he needed to get back to acting as Alpha. He was grateful, as pathetic as that was, to have such a concrete activity to focus on. He was surprised that Tony had only given him two folders to consider; Phil had supplied around 30 to the Omega. But both Bruce and Natasha supported his recommendation for the St. Andrews Clinic. He knew that Tony had met with the Omega of the St. Andrews Pack; he also had been assured that the Alpha had been nowhere in evidence during the meeting. Now, it was his turn.

The folder made for interesting reading. He was pleased to find that the core St. Andrews Pack was a military Pack, although they were obviously Medical not War. Still, they had a familiarity with battle wounds and the ability to keep cool in a crisis that would be a significant asset to the Avengers. They also had a OB/GYN practice, as well as a cardiologist. The one thing they did not have that Bruce noted as a negative was a pulmonologist. To balance that negative, Bruce had pointed out that they had an excellent diagnostician with an expertise in exotic disease which could be helpful, as well as surgical training and suite. Natasha had mentioned that the members of the Pack they had met with seemed to be honest, or at least, that they were neither aliens nor Hydra. It was true that she and Bruce had only been able to interview two members of the Pack, but she had done reconnaissance earlier in the week and after the meeting to confirm her impressions.

Discussions with the clinic had led to the appointment being scheduled at the end of the day. The unspoken assumption being that if the two Alphas did not like each other, no one else had to deal with the fallout. Steve had decided to take Sam and Phil with him; he would expect the other Alpha to bring the calmest members of her Pack as well. Whereas Omegas of different packs would rub along fairly well with each other, Alphas could be iffy. For most of the looser Pack bounds, especially non-Omega packs, there was no issue with alphas meeting and even working together. But the intense bounds of an Omega-based pack could cause some…irrational behavior in alphas. Steve was impressed that Natasha had held her temper, but, then again, she was the Black Widow and was never ruled by her instincts.

At precisely 4:15, he left the Tower with Phil and Sam beside him, Steve reminded himself that this was not a military operation, but his arm itched for his shield as they walked into the clinic. It wasn’t so much that he was in other Pack territory; medical clinics and places of business were considered fairly neutral, even if run by packs. It was just that he knew that he was going to be meeting another alpha of an Omega-run pack and in that Pack’s place of business. It was making him edgy. When they entered the clinic, they were escorted into a neutral office by the receptionist. And the office was neutral in all senses of the word: the décor was bland to the point of boredom, there was no scent of Pack, but there was a lingering Omega scent. “Clever,” thought Steve, “the Omega scent would calm us both down and use of as neutral a space as they can get will further reduce the tension.” He was starting to have a good feeling about this practice.

There were three people in the room and Steve was reminded that this was a military Pack even if it wasn’t a war pack; two was the standard attendance on an alpha or omega during military meetings. He was momentarily distracted by a feeling of nostalgia for the days of the Howling Commando briefings ( _Bucky!_ ). Then his attention zeroed in on the tall woman in the center of the facing group. She was definitely military; everything about her screamed that here was someone who had been in command in life and death situations. Shoulders were back, chest out and yet there was a confidence, an ease with the responsibility that reminded Steve of Tony’s friend, Col. Rhodes. She stood at ease beside the table and gave an impression of strength in spite of the elbow crutches. Steve, unconsciously, straightened his own posture and then caught himself with a snort at his own foolishness. This was not a competition among alphas; the woman facing him had her own Pack and he needed her assistance now and in the future.

“Steve Rogers, Alpha of the Avengers Pack” indicating himself, “Sam Wilson and Phil Coulson.” gesturing to each of them in turn, “We are here to discuss using your practice for our medical needs.” A formal declaration of intent and the specific request for help. It had been awhile since Steve had dealt with other Omega-centered Packs, but he still remembered the formalities. He had, it is true, made them less formal without the traditional words and assurances, but this was a more informal time. His instincts were proven right when the other Alpha replied.

“Yes, my Omega says that Omega Stark has spoken to him. Please sit and let us discuss a possible relationship.” Steve gestured to the others and they sat, facing the other group. It was not a positioning that necessarily indicated cooperation, but it didn’t scream distrust either. Steve felt that this was the best beginning that could be hoped for when two Alphas met. And he was not so blinded by Alpha pheromones that he couldn’t keep in mind that he needed this relationship to work; if something happened to Tony (and didn’t that send his inner Alpha screaming) then he needed to be able to trust this other pack to help.

“I understand that the Avengers are on the front lines of significant engagements. Can you give us an idea of the rate of injuries and the type that we are likely to see?” interestingly it was one of the people flanking the Alpha who asked the first question and then he said quickly, “Excuse me, I am Dr. Michael Franks; this” indicating the Alpha, “is Alpha Dr. Catherine St. Andrews, and this” pointed to the third person, “is Dr. Jennifer Chin.”

Phil, to no surprise on Steve’s part, choose himself as spokesperson, “I am Phil Coulson. This is Sam Wilson and this is Alpha Steve Rogers. The injuries can vary quite dramatically.” Phil continued dryly, “We have missions about every two-three weeks and they can result in no or many injuries. Of course the severity depends on the person. Dr. Banner, for example, never has injuries and will never need your services. Alpha Rogers may need patching up but rarely requires more than minimal care. Thor, when he is present, has never needed medical attention that I am aware of; in fact, we have no medical records on him at all. The other three are baseline humans and the injuries range from very severe to minor. There are several unusual physical ailments and…other things.”

“Would these ‘other things’ require on-going medical attention and, if so, what specialties?” Dr. Chin broke in to the conversation, “I am a cardiologist and since that is one of the most common chronic conditions…” she trailed off with an inquisitive quirk of her mouth.

“Yes, a cardiologist would be necessary for one of our members. A pulmonologist would also be useful. Your practice doesn’t have that specialty, correct?”

“Actually,” Alpha St. Andrews broke in, “we are expecting to add one to the staff next month. He already has extensive experience with chronic lung issues arising from chemical exposures as well as physical trauma. Of course, our Omega is a specialist in emergency medicine with a second focus in internal medicine; I would assume that he would be the person on-point in emergencies, especially for your Omega.”

Steve felt himself go to complete alert. He had to have a stern discussion with himself. His inner Alpha was furious and frightened at the idea of his Omega being injured and that another Alpha was talking about it. But Steve knew from his experience with the Howling Commandos that you needed to have a plan for this eventuality. The St. Andrews clinic was the best plan that anyone had come up with. Besides, he pointed out to his inner Alpha, the other pack’s _Omega_ would be taking care of Tony and he would keep the Alpha far away. This observation did a bit to calm his internal tension. At least, Steve thought bitterly, I’m distracted from the Bucky situation.

Phil continued the conversation smoothly, “Yes, Omega Stark had a good conversation with Omega St. Andrews when they met. In addition to some chronic problems, there are also special considerations. For example, one of our Pack is a sharpshooter and an archer and generally needs to have on-going PT on his shoulders.” Steve gave Phil a narrow-eyed glance at that. He had known about Clint’s visits with a masseuse, but hadn’t known about the physical therapy. He and the archer would have a long talk later. Phil seems unaffected as usual and calmly continued, “We have at this time only one female member, but your OB/GYN capabilities were a definite draw. Finally, I have some lingering effects from a significant wound that I received years ago. There are other issues, but they can be disclosed once an agreement is reached.”

Sam spoke up at that point, “We could also use some wellness care. There are several members who might benefit from accessing your therapy options. You have a mindfulness program that I think could be of benefit to several of our members. For example, Dr. Banner said that he had talked with you about meditation techniques?” Steve hadn’t been aware of that, but Sam had outright said a lot that the team needed to come up with better techniques to deal with their issues. He had also told Steve to “get his head into the present” and think about therapy “because I will not be your goddam counselor.”

The discussion mostly continued among the others after that. Which, Steve considered, made sense. He was not much help on medical discussions and Coulson had the most experience with administering the care of a large team. The other Alpha was a surgeon and her expertise could not be requested proactively so to speak; he would have to rely on her skill in the moment. That did not sit well with him but he did trust that Coulson, Bruce and Natasha had done the necessary groundwork to ensure that Alpha St. Andrews was competent. The Alphas had reached a truce in the meeting where they both watched whoever was talking and made no effort to look at or speak to each other. That couldn’t last the entire meeting, but they would keep it going as long as they could.

Finally, the non-Alpha pack members ran out of information to share and questions to ask and they turned expectantly to the two Alphas. Alpha St. Andrew drew herself up and the action suddenly reminded Steve of Col. Phillips and he felt his inner Alpha relax. This was someone that he recognized, a medical officer and soldier who was a reliable and responsible ally. Although she was another Alpha, she was out of the same tradition and culture and could be counted on to support his War Pack. Steve listened intently as Alpha St. Andrew spoke, “Alpha Rogers, the St. Andrew Pack would be honored to support the Avengers Pack by providing medical support. Both myself and my Omega pledge our Pack to your assistance and, when needed, your protection. In return, as Medical Pack, I will remind you that in medical situations, our decisions must be respected.”

Steve listened, surprised and comforted, by the traditional words. It was true that few knew that the Avengers were an Omega-led Pack. So Steve had become use to not receiving the traditional greetings and courtesies. He didn’t even know if those traditions were still observed. Sometimes he wished that Tony could experience these customs, although he doubted that Tony would really appreciate them. It was nice to hear the words from Alpha St. Andrew and to know that she understood what she offered and would understand when he responded, “Alpha St. Andrew, the Avengers Pack gratefully accept the services of the St. Andrew Medical Pack and, as Alpha, I promise on behalf of the Avengers Pack, that we will remember your assistance and respect all your medical decisions.”

Tony had to shut himself in his workshop to stop Steve from hearing him laugh himself into hiccups (not fun with the arc reactor) at the idea that Steve was going to respect anyone if his Omega was injured.

 


	4. A Powerpoint? Really?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was not going to go well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short one, but Tony refused to make it any longer.

This was not going to go well, thought Tony. There was no way that the Pack was going to be able to get through even a simulation of him getting hurt without freaking out. He sighed, staring at the beginning of chaos and wondering if Loki was behind the suggestion that the Pack practice an emergency situation with a hurt Omega. Speaking of Loki, at least Thor could be counted on to keep calm; given his Asgardian nature, the god was not as invested in Pack dynamics as the others. Bruce would probably elect to sit the whole thing out as no one was sure that the Hulk really understood games of pretend. Tony thought he would also enjoy not being the one dealing with the injuries – and getting to sit on the sidelines (probably) with a bag of popcorn. Omega Brain made a yummy noise at the idea of Bruce’s spiced popcorn and Tony promised that they would have some if Bruce made any. The Omega Brain didn’t seem to have caught on to the simulation yet, so everyone was still relatively calm. Just wait, he thought, fireworks are a-coming.

The whole simulation had seemed so mundane when Steve and Phil had outlined it to Tony. Well, Phil had outlined it; Steve had sat there looking stoic which really should have been a warning sign of how bad this was going to go. Omega Brain stopped sniffing after food long enough to reminisce on the too tight t-shirt that Steve was wearing. Tony mentally groaned and pointed out that sex and food were not the only things in the world. There was a mental pause and then Omega Brain asked if they were going to kill Agent 13? Tony gave up on the internal conversation and decided to pay more attention to the external one.

The entire Pack was seated at the conference table where they had confronted Fury. Steve was at the head of the table and Tony was at the opposite end. Phil was standing next to Steve and, if Tony wasn’t mistaken, he was going to start a slide presentation? It was at this point that Tony decided that he was just going to get all the entertainment value he could out of this whole ordeal.


	5. The Software of Death-By-Boredom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They try and get through the presentation on the simulation but it doesn't go well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep thinking this would be a great chapter for a drawing! Especially of Thor at the meeting, but I am not an artist so you will have to use your imaginations.
> 
> Slowly the plot is moving along. 
> 
> Every comment makes it more easier for the author to write (hint, hint).

The presentation had gone even worse than Tony had anticipated. He had foreseen that Bruce would take himself out of the whole game, which he did with a quiet, “I don’t think it will be a good idea for me to participate.” Natasha and Clint were both onboard with the plan; it was similar to other simulations that they had run while agents. True, they had never tried to run one which involved their Omega, but they were professionals and this was well within their capabilities. Sam, surprisingly, had been very unenthusiastic. Tony assumed it had to do with having an Omega-led family Pack; man knew how bad this could go. The real surprise was Thor. Not that he had a problem with the simulation; no, that was fine. Thor had apparently never been exposed to PowerPoint before. The god’s enthusiasm for the new to him software had totally derailed the meeting. He was fascinated by the “most noble tool for the communication of battle plans” and demanded to be shown its wonders. The rest of the Pack had been totally bemused by this view of the dreaded presentation software of death-by-boredom and, therefore, were slow to contain Thor’s enthusiasm. And Tony knew that Bruce didn’t like the idea of a simulation, but did he have to tell Thor about clip art? Sam hadn’t helped with his introduction of that abomination, Clippy, into the conversation. It had taken Phil, Tony and Steve over an hour to get the meeting back on track.

Finally, the Pack had been settled down and went back to paying attention. They had worked out a scenario. Tony had been insistent that if he was ‘injured’ then there wasn’t any real need for him to lie around with a fake bandage. He had work due and could just as easily play the victim in his workshop while, you know, working. He had also pointed out that it would keep the Pack more focused on the simulation if they weren’t distracted by trying to make him comfortable. Bruce had volunteered to sit with Tony, as that would allow him to watch what was going on without any threat of the largest Pack member showing up out of misplaced worry. It also meant that at least one of the Pack could devote themselves to the Omega’s care – like making sure that Tony ate.

The former SHIELD contingent had then developed a very detailed scenario with Steve playing devil’s advocate and poking holes in their plans. Tony had been fascinated by that dynamic. He had never seen Steve work with the Strike Force and this strategic side was new. Tony had also never observed the team of Phil, Natasha and Clint plan an op either. Although they hadn’t worked together in years, they seemed to find a seamless rhythm that allowed them to absorb Steve’s critiques and alter plans on the fly. Omega Brain was finding all the competence very sexy. Tony had to agree; his Pack mates were awesome at this stuff, even if he thought what they were awesomely constructing was the worst idea he had ever heard.

They had gone with a battle scenario with Tony making it back to the Tower before they determined how bad the wound was. Tony had tried to convince them to make the wound relatively minor. Everyone in the room had looked at him, then each other, and then all of them started to say that Tony would treat a life-threatening wound as minor, so they were being completely realistic. Tony and Omega Brain both started sulking at that because that behavior was just trying to protect the Pack. The Pack got so upset when the Omega got hurt that Tony (sometimes) went overboard trying to reassure them that he was fine. Omega Brain was angry that anyone was questioning their care of the Pack and was seriously considering smacking everyone. Tony was tired of being treated like he couldn’t make his own decisions. They both agreed on removing themselves from any further discussions and sulking until the Pack made it up to them.

That plan got ruined mostly by Clint and Bruce. Because Clint and Bruce had a foolproof way to get Tony out of the sulks – dinner and a cake. Someone, probably Natasha, had figured out that something upsetting was going to go down and warned the cooking duo. So when Tony flounced out of the elevator, preparing to ignore everyone, he was totally distracted by the luscious smells from the communal kitchen. A little snoop around the kitchen revealed to Tony that Bruce had gone Italian which the scientist knew was Tony’s favorite type of food, thanks to his mother. Clint had done his chocolate state fair cake; three tiers of moist cake and wonderful chocolate frosting. Well, Omega Brain immediately began purring in the back of the genius’ mind about how wonderful their Pack was and how good they were at taking care of the Omega. With a show of grumbling, Tony settled down on the couch to wait for dinner as opposed to his original plan of locking himself in his workshop.

Phil settled himself next to the Omega, close enough that Tony could lean against him if he wanted. Tony wasn’t going to – he was still grumpy, but Phil was wonderful at neck rubs and head scratches, so he eventually allowed himself to slump against Agent. Sam had plopped down across from them and grinned at the sight. But he became serious after a minute and addressed both of them, “I am really worried about this simulation.” He shook his head when Phil started to talk, “Wait a sec and let me finish. I want to talk to the two of you before the others come. I understand why we’re doing this, but I really think we need some contingency planning. I know that most of you have never been in an Omega Pack, but I have, and let me tell you, when Mom got hurt, the whole Pack went crazy. I mean, one time she broke her ankle and it was like someone had declared war. And, to be blunt, things around here have been kind of tense so I think we need a safeword. Some way to stop everything and remind everyone that it is just a test.”

Phil, without ceasing the nice neck rub, leaned slightly forward and said, “Natasha and Clint were both trained using these types of simulations so they should be able to maintain some detachment. Thor, I doubt will be a problem…”

“Thor is the one who should be responsible for talking everyone down.” Tony interrupted, “He’s going to be the least affected and he is strong enough to take on anyone, even Big Green. Although, I should be with Bruce so that shouldn’t be a problem.” At least Sam had some sense of how bad this will go! Truly, Tony was mostly worried about Steve, Phil, Clint and Natasha. Steve, well, he was the Alpha and protectiveness was just a part of the package. Also, things between them were still recovering from the events in Washington and that would make the Alpha’s reaction even worse. The problem with the agents was their training. Tony knew how they worked, he had observed them often enough. They all went into a hyper competent state where they could function in the moment at their most efficient. Unfortunately, that could blind them to certain aspects of a situation – like the fact that this was supposed to be pretend. Tony was worried that they would get swept up in the moment. Bless Agent though; he got what Tony was thinking.

“Hmm, when we did these kind of full on simulations at SHIELD, we generally built in something to keep the agents from going overboard. Sometimes, it was the fact that we gave them false weapons, but we did other things. How about the bright colored flag around the arm trick?” he looks around at the others, “The bright color makes it impossible to ignore and it is out of place enough to remind them that this is a training simulation. By tying it on the forearm, they have to see it every time they move.”

“That might work,” Sam replies slowly, “But I still think we should have a way to tell Thor to stop everyone. Maybe JARVIS could be given guidelines on when and if to signal Thor?”

“Excellent!” Tony clapped his hands, “Why didn’t I think of that? J! You are on as playground monitor. Talk to Point Break about what the signal should be. We’re staying in the Tower so we won’t have to rely on something he will accidentally fry.”

“Of course, Sir. I have reviewed Agent Coulson’s plans and believe that I understand the parameters and the boundaries of the exercise. I will discuss this with Prince Thor.” The calm tone of the AI relaxed all three of them. JARVIS was protective, but at least it wasn’t compromised by a pack bond.

“I still don’t think this is going to go well.” Was Sam’s last statement before the rest of the Pack came in to start getting ready for dinner. Tony silently agreed.


	6. A Brief and Explosive Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See the title

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Working my way out of a writing block with this tale.

Tony looked up from his holograms as JARVIS began the countdown to the beginning of Operation Everyone Goes Nuts – not its official name, but Tony thought his was more descriptive than whatever Steve and the spy twins had dreamed up. He glanced to the side to confirm that Bruce was settled in a workstation near him. He ran through the scenario in his mind – he had supposedly flown back to the Tower after a battle and was about to be ‘discovered’ in his workshop with a severe injury. Steve would take charge of coordinating the Pack’s actions. If Tony had gotten the sequence right (and he hadn’t been paying much attention), the SHIELD trio would be responsible for transport, Thor would be on advance notice to the St. Andrews practice and Sam and Bruce were on first line medical response. Steve with Phil’s concurrence had decreed that Tony didn’t need to actually go to the practice – thank Thor! So Tony was going to sit in his workshop and catch up on some SI work while they whirled about him.

After the initial discovery in the workshop, during which the Pack paused the whole thing to create a formal procedure for checking on the Omega after every battle (Tony was inclined to be annoyed, but Omega Brain was going ‘awwww, they are so caring’), Tony and Bruce were left alone. This was more the thing, Tony thought, just him and his science bro in the lab together. The entire scenario, including the pausing for discussion was supposed to take about an hour, so Tony settled himself in for a short stint at the upgrades for the Starkphone OS and Bruce was working on a small experiment with clean water or something.

After an hour or so, Bruce interrupted the engineer, “Tony, I’m going to go upstairs and grab some lunch for us.  Made us some bahn mi sandwiches.” This was said with a conspiratorial grin. The whole Pack loved Bruce’s cooking but he reserved his best efforts for the Omega. Tony grinned back and hummed happily, turning back to his work as Bruce left the area. He was happily tinkering with a code analyzer to find a bug that was driving his R&D department crazy when he became aware of a buzzing noise. He raised his head, just as JARVIS spoke with intense urgency, “Sir, I…” and then a force threw him forward and across the table.


	7. No Time Is the Right Time for An Omega Throw Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The St. Andrews medical clinic is about to have a much more exciting day than they anticipated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK - I am working through the writer's block and I thank everyone for their patience. Turns out that Omega Brain is kind of a thing.

Malcolm St. Andrew, the Omega of the St. Andrew Pack, stretched his arms above his head and moved them from side to side to work out the kinks in his back. He noted that Jennifer immediately looked concerned and smiled at her reassuringly. He had first drawn a pack together when he was 13 – a teenage pack that naturally dissolved as everyone aged and the military had offered a path to medical school to the poor young man from Wyoming and a new Pack. The most difficult part of being a military Omega was that trying to prevent a pack from forming outside of the military structure, but Malcolm had managed. As he was finishing medical school, his CO introduced him to Kate and it was love at first sight. They and the military were happy. Gradually, an entire military medical unit was built up around the two of them and they served together until Kate’s injury – taken while doing surgery under fire. Now, he and Kate were running a respectable, successful, Pack-based medical practice in New York, and he had never been so bored.

Today had been another day of appointments and mediation. His nature as an Omega was almost as important these days as his professional expertise. An Omega could always calm people, even if they were of another pack, so he was often called in for excitable patients. In the rare cases that they were treating Omegas, it was Malcolm who was called in. Omegas did not, as a general rule, spend that much time around each other, given the restrictions that most lived under. As an Omega in a medical pack, he had been much more out and about. His life now was far more restricted than in the military. Not that he would ever complain as he adored his Pack and he knew that they actually did adore having him more to themselves. The Avengers Pack may be a life-saver; they could, hopefully, inject excitement into the Pack’s work life. He sighed and prepared to shut down his computer to signal that it was time to head back to the Pack quarters for the night.

The door to the office swung open so hard it hit the wall and rebounded back. Michael was standing in the doorway, panting with excitement. “We just got a call from someone named JARVIS from the Avengers Pack! He says that Omega Stark has been injured and is unconscious.” He continued as Malcolm jumped up, “He said that they have a medical bay at Avengers Tower and should they bring him here?”

“No! If I remember correctly, their med bay is pretty well equipped. I don’t want to move him more than necessary. The Tower is just as close to a hospital if we need one. Jennifer, I want you with me in case there are heart complications. Thank god Jackson is here to deal with any pulmonary issues. Michael, make sure that Kate knows what is going on and that we will probably have an out-of-control Pack to deal with.” He had just finished the sentence when there was a crack of thunder and one of the largest men he had ever seen came through the window at the end of the hall, a red cape swirling around him and a hammer in one fist.  He was followed by what looked like Iron Man.

“I have come for aid for our most noble Omega! Although I know that you will move as fast as allowed by your technology, I can take one of you through the air to the Tower. This iron armor can take one more” Belatedly, Malcolm realized this must be Thor, one of the two Avengers who “wouldn’t need medical attention.”

Now, Malcolm faced a conundrum; he needed to get to his patient as quickly as possible and flying would be far quicker than any other method. On the other hand, the Pack was not going to allow their Omega to go flying off with a strange pack member, even if someone else went with him. While he collected his kit he tried to figure out some way to explain this to Kate who couldn’t come with them. There was no way that the Avengers would suffer another Alpha in their territory with an injured Omega; Malcolm would need to take Jennifer with him. As he raced down the corridor, he suddenly became aware that Thor didn’t smell strongly of Pack; he smelled almost neutral. Of course, he was an alien. Maybe that could work for Malcolm. He could be very persuasive when he tried.

Less than 10 minutes later, they left the building with Thor holding Jennifer and Malcolm held by the armor (once Kate had assured herself and the rest of the Pack that there was no one in the armor). Flying while being held by a metal arm was a little disconcerting, but no worse than being parachuted into a desert and no one was shooting at them.  The trip to the Tower took less than 3 minutes (which would put them a good 10 minutes ahead of everyone trying to drive through midtown). They landed on a balcony; Malcolm noticed with part of his mind that Tony Stark seemed to have put balconies in all over the structure and he wondered if they were all to allow for flying parties to land. The balcony they were on was down the hall from the med bay and Malcolm lost no time in racing in followed by Jennifer with Thor striding beside them barely bothered by keeping up with their speed.

The fugue of a distraught Pack hit him like a wall and it was only his training that let him keep moving. Checking that Jennifer was behind him, he reached for his inner Omega. Most people in modern times have never been part of an Omega-led Pack and many have never met an Omega. There was a persistent belief that Omegas would deal with Alphas by being submissive and defusing anger. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Malcolm exploded through the door of the medical bay, immediately issuing orders. “Everyone, away from the patient! Who’s in charge here? I need an immediate sitrep.” The conscious members of the Avengers Pack flinched back from him; the scent of ‘don’t fuck with me’ saturating the air. This wouldn’t have worked if Tony Stark had been conscious and Malcolm wouldn’t have tried it. An Omega throw down never improved a situation. But with Omega Stark out and the others in panic mode, it was working. Everyone had backed away, except for Alpha Rogers, but that was to be expected.

“He has been unconscious since the explosion in the lab about 10 minutes ago. There are signs of returning function, including responsiveness to light and small movements.” Malcolm recognized Dr. Banner and spared a second to be grateful that it was him and not his green alter ego. He and Jennifer continued their examination; his decision not to move Omega Stark had definitely been the correct one. The med bay contained state of the art equipment and they were able to arrange for a CAT scan as well as an EKG (just a precaution according to Jennifer). Of course, that meant that Malcolm needed to detach Alpha Rogers from Omega Stark. And to make sure the rest of the Avenger Pack stayed out of the way. The med bay was not that large and had clearly not been designed with Pack dynamics in mind. Although Banner was being helpful and the others had shrunk back against the walls (and in one case apparently leaped to the top of the supply cabinet), Alpha Rogers was a brick wall on one side of the bed and it was making movement very awkward. Time for some Omega mojo.

“Move.” This was said in a quiet intense tone with Malcolm as close to Rogers’ face as he could get, considering that the man had almost 8 inches on him. But Malcolm had dealt with angry alphas almost every day in the military. It was omegas that scared the crap out of him (and everyone else in the military medical corps). A part of his brain was all for just smacking the annoying Alpha around for being in the way and he could use that annoyance. “We need to run tests and treat Omega Stark and you and your Pack are IN THE WAY!” The last bit was shouted directly into the Alpha’s face and…he moved as Malcolm knew he would. He didn’t leave the bay and neither did the rest of the Pack, but Malcolm didn’t expect that – he just wanted space to work.

It was only a minute or so later that Omega Stark began to wake up.


	8. How to Deal with a Mule of an Alpha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony wakes up for a little while anyway and we see more of Omega thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still having some block so the chapters are going to be short but at least they are coming.

Tony woke up – for a given definition of the phrase. At first, he thought that he had gone on a bender, but the weird floaty feeling indicated that he was on some strong drugs. So he was injured and probably had a concussion. He tried to remember what had happened but thinking back threatened to help the pain overcome the drugs, so he stopped. He then tried to open his eyes, but that didn’t go well either, so he closed them and considered, in a distant, slow way, what to try next. He sniffed a little – Pack was nearby and they were upset? Omega Brain gave a little murmur in the background; Tony thought it was torn between wanting to comfort and blaming the Pack for his headache. As he contemplated this, he heard a voice.

“Tony, hey, are you awake?” Definitely, Steve’s voice and it was suffused with concern.

“Alpha Rogers, I will say this one last time – move out of my way or I will move you!” That voice was cold, commanding and vaguely familiar. It was also accompanied by a scent that Omega Brain _hated_! Without conscious thought, Tony surged out of the bed. Or he tried, but the Omega Brain was willing and the flesh was weak. A tsunami of pain had him dropping back onto the bed. His poor head was only saved from slamming back by a large hand cradling it. That must be Thor or Steve, he thought muzzily. And dropped into darkness.

Malcolm glared at Steve Rogers; the man was a mule in human form, but Malcolm had grown up on a ranch and he knew how to handle mules. “Alpha Rogers, you need to stand back and let me work on Omega Stark. I will remind you that he needs medical attention which you are not qualified to provide. Perhaps you need a refresher Powerpoint presentation?” Malcolm had found the presentation hilarious when the AI had played it for the Pack after he arrived, especially since when an actual emergency occurred, only Thor and the AI, JARVIS, acted in accordance with the plan. The rest of the Pack had panicked and gone into hyperactive vigilance. Well, Malcolm amended, except for Dr. Banner. Apparently, the scientist’s other super power was being able to remain calm under very trying conditions.

The fact that Omega Stark had woken up relaxed all the medical personnel present – which consisted of Malcolm, Jennifer, Dr. Banner, and Tom (the pulmonologist). The CAT scan had been clear and there was no sign that Omega Stark had anything other than a moderate concussion. That condition was not trivial but it was much better than what Malcolm had feared. The injured Omega’s lungs and heart had shown no damage or no additional damage – Jennifer and Tom had both been shocked at the existing condition. Tom had already told Dr. Banner and JARVIS that he expected Omega Stark in his office as soon as he was back on his feet for a complete pulmonary workup. Jennifer had simply nodded and noted that she could do his cardiac checkup at the same time.

Malcolm knew that now that the injured Omega was starting to wake up, his time in the area was ending. Having a non-Pack Omega in his space would only serve to upset the engineer. Right now the room was filled with pissed-off Omega scent which Malcolm had been using to cow the Avengers Pack. He wondered what Steve Rogers thought about being shoved around by someone half his size. He guessed from the Alpha’s reaction that the Howling Commandos had never had to deal with Barnes being injured (every Omega knew about the Howling Commandos). So Rogers had been blindsided by his instinctive deference to the Omega doctor. Malcolm knew that after the excitement of the situation wore off, he would be giggling at the way the superheroes had tripped over themselves getting away from him when he rampaged into the med bay. He had shoved Rogers out of the way and bellowed at the soldier whenever he appeared in Malcolm’s peripheral vision. Malcolm knew that a scared Alpha is easier to handle when s/he is kept off-balance.

But an Omega requires very different handling. Tony Stark would be vulnerable when he woke and any other Omega in his space would immediately upset him. Malcolm understood Stark’s behavior when the other had woken briefly – the Avengers Omega had reacted badly to the scent of another Omega in his Pack space. In the military, at this point, with the Omega needing only monitoring, the Pack would be isolated together until the Omega recovered. Besides, the Pack needed to concentrate on their Omega, giving him the attention that he needed. Omegas recover fastest when they were surrounded by devoted Pack. Malcolm just hoped that there would not be any major world catastrophes while Omega Stark recovered. The Pack was going to be distracted until he was healed up. Malcolm headed out of the Tower to meet his Alpha in a car. He was looking at a whole lotta of cuddling from his own Pack after this adventure. Well, everyone had been complaining about boredom.


	9. Well, That Was a Clusterf*ck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Pack in the aftermath of Tony's injury

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK - this is finally over! I have never encountered block like this. I think I am going to do a little 5+1 to get myself loose.

Well, that was a clusterfuck, Phil thinks to himself.  It was dawn and a full day had passed since Tony had been injured in the lab. The Pack was in the Pack Room where they had moved Tony almost as soon as they got an OK. The floors below them were on lock down with no one coming in – not with the Pack this on edge. Now all the Avengers were curled in – well there is only one term for it – a cuddle pile, around their Omega. It was the quietest it had been since Tony’s injury and Phil had time to start reviewing the situation and begin to make notes. It was his training, after all, to review actions and make notes on what worked, what didn’t and it was obvious what had not worked…the Avengers.

Phil sighed; they had been doing so well. The exercise had started and everyone was taking it seriously, except Tony of course. They had even had a very productive discussion about systematically checking on Tony after every battle. The discussion had been so good that Phil had managed to talk Steve out of being the only one who could possibly check the Omega and to agree to a schedule based on the day of the week. They had scattered on cue and simulated a post-battle tower; it was while they were at that point that JARVIS sounded the alarm. Or more accurately, announced in clear, British tones that there had been an explosion in the workroom and Tony was injured.

After that, the whole situation had devolved into chaos. JARVIS had managed to prevent a Hulk-out by asking Bruce to check on Tony, but the AI had paid no attention to the rest of the Pack. They had all raced to the lab. Phil mentally shuddered at how disorganized that was with Steve swinging down the stairwell, often jumping between floors. The lab had been a mess with a small fire still raging and the Omega slumped against the far wall. Steve had let out a enraged noise as he flew across the lab to Tony, Bruce only a moment behind him. During the few seconds it had taken Bruce to confirm to the Alpha that Tony lived, Phil had watched Steve collapse, only to rebuild himself an instant later. It was Thor, backed by JARVIS, Phil and Sam, who insisted on moving Tony to the med bay and contacting the St. Andrew Clinic. The rest of the Pack had been (and it hurt Phil deep inside to admit this) useless. It was obvious that the members of the Pack who had prior experience with Omega-led packs had been the most able to function logically. Of course, Phil mused, Alphas were never any help in these situations. So he could give Steve a pass; at least the Alpha hadn’t gotten in the way of Bruce, Sam and Phil when they went to move the Omega.

No, that honor went to his own people. Phil sighed. Natasha and Clint had gone stone cold, trying to find the source of the attack on their Omega. The problem was – there hadn’t been an attack, just an innocuous part that had broken, sending volatile chemicals into each other and sparking an explosion. Of course, at first, that wasn’t obvious, but even when the others (the same ones who kept their heads, Phil realized) figured out what happened, the spies had been searching for someone to attack. Luckily, Phil had gotten them to listen to his ‘command’ voice so he didn’t have to taze them to prevent them from preventing moving the Omega or hurting the medical personnel. But it had been a close thing. Once they were all secluded in the Pack Room, he could tell that Natasha at least had been deeply shaken by her emotional reaction. As the Black Widow, she prided herself on her emotional control. She would take some time and care to recover – Phil would need to talk to Tony.

Clint had been somewhat better but only because he had immediately retreated to the top of a medicine cabinet and, therefore, had not actually been in the way when the doctors had arrived. Phil admitted to himself that “not actually in the way” was a very low bar to clear, but considering everyone else… Phil would not soon forget the St. Andrews Omega cowing Steve Rogers with little more than a snarl and a glare. The agent could now really envision the skinny kid from Brooklyn since he had seen the over six foot super soldier try and shrink down so he could stay near Tony without angering the smaller Omega doctor. Bruce of course had actually been helpful, remaining calm and answering the doctors’ queries. Sam had alternated between talking Natasha and Steve down. He hadn’t had much effect on Steve, but he had done a good job with Natasha. Phil realized that Thor and JARVIS were the only two who had actually followed the plan and he wasn’t sure that either of them had actually listened to the presentation!

Natasha shifted slightly from where she was tucked under Tony’s head trying not to disturb the Omega. She knew that he was awake but hoped he would drift off again. He needed the sleep to recover from the accident. She slowed down her breathing. She was aware that she was off balance; her emotional reaction to the Omega’s accident had blindsided her and she was having trouble recovering. Phil had tried to explain to her and Clint that this was normal for Omega-led Pack members, especially when the Omega was hurt. But Natasha Romanoff did not lose herself in emotions. She wasn’t sure how to reconcile her status as Pack member and her status as the Black Widow.

Thor was as relaxed as he ever was in this strange place where he had found family and friends. Looking back over the day, he considered what new information had come his way. Repeatedly, his companions, no, Pack mates, had tried to explain all the ramifications of being part of a Pack bond, but Thor knew that his perception lacked something. Today had given him a whole new view. He had watched what he had assumed to be the most reliable members in an emergency collapse. Instead, it had been Dr. Banner, the Son of Coul and the Son of Wil who had come through. He attributed Dr. Banner’s ability to remain calm to the years of training in combating his fearsome alter ego (Thor made a mental note to ask the Hulk to spar in the next week to allow Dr. Banner to ‘let off some steam’). The other two he did not know as well as they were new to the Pack, but their actions in this matter had impressed him. After the events of the day, Thor knew he would need to watch his fellow flyer carefully; the Omega was far more important to the Pack than he had realized.

Sam was enjoying the Pack buzz; it had been so long since he had been in a Pack this tight-knit that he was soaking up the closeness. Tony really was a first-rate Omega, making sure that every member of the Pack had a chance to care for him. Sam especially admired this when the Omega had an over-protective Alpha hovering over him. Sam’s father had been laid back for an Alpha, content to allow his formidable Omega do most of the bossing. Of course, according to his mother, it had been very different when she was pregnant. To hear his mother tell it, his father had almost thrown the doctor out of the delivery room when Mrs. Wilson cursed her out for telling the Omega that she had to push and couldn’t just stop in the middle of labor. Steve was more on the possessive end, far to the possessive end.

Tony watched Phil from half-shut eyes. Agent was beating himself up over the whole incident. If Tony knew him (and Tony could definitely say that he did now) than Phil was running over the whole thing in his mind, analyzing and pulling out the details. And probably blaming himself for everyone freaking out. Tony would need to deal with that, as well as whatever was wrong with Natasha. The female spy twin just smelled completely off-balanced, pulling back from the Pack. All of them were upset by what happened but Natasha’s disturbance was far more extreme. It was why he had made sure to lay his head on her stomach, so that she couldn’t leave the Pack pile. First though he would have to calm his Alpha down enough to actually spend time alone with Natasha. As it was, Tony had barely managed to avoid being crushed by Steve who kept pulling the Omega back under him as if he thought that the Omega might slip away if he didn’t pin him down.

Then there was Omega Brain – Tony couldn’t figure out what it was. The voice in the back of his head felt uncharacteristically tentative. He introduced the idea of Agent 13 and Omega Brain barely responded. His memories of the accident and the aftermath were very vague. And he knew that was the effect of the blow to his head and that those memories may never reappear, but Omega Brain obviously did remember something and whatever it was, it had totally thrown the normally psychopathic Omega Brain. In the middle of the Pack cuddle pile, Tony suddenly felt cold.


End file.
